Buying Used Golf 1.6 GL A reg

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Tue 7 Oct 2003 16:08
Buying Used Golf 1.6 GL A reg - Silver Champion
Hi,

I am thinking of buying a Golf 1.6 GL A reg MKII.

Can anyone tell me what to look out for in inspecting these cars? And whether £400 is a good/bad deal.

The car has had 4 previous owners, bodywork is fine, no mayonnaise on the oil cap, 66,000 miles. The Fan belt (or that is where the noise is coming from) is a bit squeeky. The rear silencer is blowing and the dealer has said that he would have this replaced before selling me the car, or I can take it now for £350.

I am going to have a proper look at it on Saturday and it would be nice to have a list of things to look at, and ask the dealer.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Stuart
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Tue 7 Oct 2003 16:38
Buying Used Golf 1.6 GL A reg - RichardW
You are talking a 20 year old car here. If it REALLY has only done 66k miles that is only about 3.5k/year. Likely then that the engine is just about shot, and clutch will be nearly spent. This will have one of those infernal Pierburg carbs (see various threads on here about the problems these cause) replacement of which will cost more than car.

What sort of use do you want it for? Banging up and down the motorways will be a no-no for a while till you make sure the cooling system is up to scratch, and none of the hoses are going to rupture.

Rust could be anywhere - you need to get a good poke underneath it if you are not to buy a sieve.

If you really want a 20 year old Golf 1.6, and are prepared to wield the spanners on it, and it's got a years MOT, £400 sounds at the (very) top end of right. If you don't, you're not, and it doesn't, then it's about £450 too much!!


RichardW

Is it illogical? It must be Citroen....
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Tue 7 Oct 2003 22:28
Buying Used Golf 1.6 GL A reg - Kuang
Had a C reg a while back with lower than expected mileage, and had nothing but hassle with it. Don't get me wrong, the MK2 is a fantastic car and I'd say one of the best midsized hatches ever made (relative to it's time), but once they start to go wrong, they never seem to stop...

Check the shock tops very carefully - they're famous for cracking and rotting which will lead to seriously twitchy handling. Make sure there's no slack or stiffness around the centre point on the steering column (common sense I know, but I've driven a couple that have become seriously sticky). make sure the clutch cable isn't snagging, as they're prone to snapping. Be *very* wary of severe rattling or smoke.

Despite that lot, get a good one and you're laughing - they really are superb for their age and put a lot of the cars of that era to shame...

Well, a lot of cars from *this* era too now I think of it ;)
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